Dust collector



Oct. 24, 1944. o. J. RUPP 2,360,981

DUST' COLLECTOR Filed Jan. 31., 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l OSCAR J.

BY MW JmZmin;

ATTORNEYS O. J. RUPP DUST COLLECTOR Filed Jan. 31, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOQNEVS tors, etc.

Patented Oct. 24, 1944 DUST COLLECTOR Oscar J. Rupp, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Schriber Sheet Metal and Roofers, Ina, Dayton, -h10, a

corporation of Ohio Application January 31, 1942, Serial No. 429,005

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to air conditioners, and more especially to dust collectors.

In the art of dust collection, more especially as applied to large business establishments or factories, the dust collector represents an elaborate system of distributing conduits, blowers, separa- An arrangement of this type is not only bulky but usually constitutes a fiXed part of the building so that it is not portable. In order to satisfy the demand for a portable dust collector, a number of structures has been heretofore proposed, but many of these are expensive as to first cost and operation, and some are difficult to install because they operate on the scrubbing principle, which requires a steady stream of water under pressure. Still other portable dust collectors serve to separate the dust from the air by centrifugal action, which is not only inefficient since the finer the particle the harder it is to separate-from the air by this method, and in addition the separated dust is usually exhausted through a vent to the outdoors, thus limiting the collector to a position near a window or wall.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved portable dust collector which has extreme facility of movement and may be employed for dust-conditioning residences, individual rooms thereof or small business houses; in fact, any place which would not warrant a large, permanent installation.

Another object is to provide a dust collector which requires no water under pressure and therefore no connection with the water facilities of the building.

Still another object is to provide an improved dust collector which not only operates in a highly efficient manner and therefore is inexpensive to operate, but is of simple construction, requiring no fixed installations in the conditioned room and is easily re-conditioned.

Another object is to provide a portable dust collector which may be readily disassembled to inspect or repair the parts, and a device which requires only the cheapest of materials such as water and sheet metal bafiles for the conditioning elements.

These and other advantages will be apparent When the following specification is read in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the improved collector, butshowing the motor and blower in elevation,

Figure 2 is atransverse sectional .view, somewhat decreased in size, the view being taken along the line 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the upper portion of the improved collector, showing the disposition of the louvers.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the upper portion of a modified form of the improved collector.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the numeral I designates a sheet metal casing which preferably has a rectangular configuration and is continuous about its periphery except for the louvers 2, which may .be pressed or otherwise formed in the sheet metal. As shown in Figure 1, these louvers are of the upturned type, i. e. they extend inwardly and upwardly, leaving openings at the top of each louver which serve as an egress for the air which has been conditioned in the improved dust collector. The top of the casing I is provided with a cover ,3, and the corners of the casing are preferably rounded as indicated at 4. The cover 3 is preferably of rectangular configuration to conform to the shape of the casing I, and may be held in position by means of a U-shaped bead member 5 which is spot welded to the under side of the casing at the top, as indicated at 6. The casing I is provided with a transverse joint, indicated at I, so that the upper part of the casing may be removed if desired,

for inspection purposes or for r placement of a hoop or ring '9 which is welded to the interior surface of the casing. The hoop 9 serves as a reenforcing member. "The .upper portion of the casing where it abuts the hoop member is bent inwardly and then downwardly at an angle, and finally upwardly to .form a loop indicated at III, which fits snugly against the interior surface of the bent portion 8 of the lower casing member. The general arrangement is such that theupper portion of the casing may be removed from the lower casing portion at the joint I and readily replaced in position, due to the aligning effects of the loop members 8 and).

There is suspended .from the cover 3 apair of concentrically positioned bafiles ,I I, 12 which take the same shape as the casing I and have the same length, preferably such as to extend approximately midwaylof the ,lengthof the lower casing portion. The baflles I I, I2 may be made-.ofisheet metal and are preferablyprovided at the top with the casing I flanges I 3, in order to be spot welded to the cover 3 and thus held rigidly in position. The lower edges of the baifies II, i2 are preferably bent over, as indicated at I4, for reasons which will be understood when the operation of the dust collector is explained. The lower end of the casing 1 is closed by a bottom member I5, secured to the casing at the edges in such a manner as to be absolutely water-tight. Upstandin-g from the bottom I5 there is a baflie member I6 of sheet metal, provided with a flanged portion I! which is welded or otherwise secured to the bottom member I5. The baffle I6 preferably has a shape similar to that of the casing I, and is positioned between the baiiles Il, I2 extending upwardly to a distance almost as far as the top piece or cover 3.

The casing I rests on a sheet metal base I8, to which it may be detachably secured by means of the inwardly bent flanges I9 formed at the lower edge of the casing and adapted to engage the outer surface of the base. The latter is pref- "erably provided with a plurality of vent openings 20 formed as down-turned louvers. on the bottom 2I of the base member there is a Supported platform, indicated at 22, of any suitable construction and'carrying a motor 23 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the platform. Brackets '24 also extend upwardly from the bottom member 2 I, these brackets serving to support a heavy metal casing 25 of a blower having an ingress indicated at 26 and an egress at 21. The dustladen air from the surrounding atmosphere is conducted to the ingress opening 26 through a to the bottom member I5. The lower end of the conduit surrounds the tubing 29, as indicated, and the upper end extends for a considerable distance into the interior of the compartment formed by the innermost bafile II. The conduit 30 may bear, at a point intermediate its length,

against the lower edge of the baffle member II,

and its uppermost lip may contact the opposite side of the bafile member II in order to provide a rigid support. The casing I, at its lowermost end, may be provided with a drain gate 3|, having a shutoff valve handle 32 which is adapted to carry a bucket and to maintain the gate open.

There is also provided an inlet pipe 33 at a predetermined position above the drain gate 3|, this pipe being closed by a wing screw 34.

Operation When operating the improved dust collector,

- the liquid, preferably water 35, is introduced into the lower end of the casing i through the pipe 33 to an appreciable depth. The water is permitted to flow uniformly over the entire area of on account of the triangularly shaped openings 36 provided at the lower end of the bafiie IS. The openings 36 are larger at the bottom than at the top in order to permit the ready movement of sludge which will collect at the bottom of the casing under the conditions explained hereinafter.

Assume that the motor 23 has been energized so as to operate the blower 25. Dust-laden air,

or other gases from the inclosure which immediately surrounds the dust collector, is caused to -move inwardly through the conduit 28 and is forced out through the egress 2'! of the blower at a fast rate of speed. This air, on leaving the upper edge of the conduit 38, moves upwardly until for the most part it strikes the cover 3, which causes the dust-laden air to reverse its direction, as indicated by the arrow 31. Due to this combined impact and sudden reversing effect, many of the dust particles are forced out of the gas and strike the vertical metal surfaces which guide them downwardly into the liquid. The gas is then forced downwardly through the spaces between the conduit 30 and the rectangular baffle II until the air strikes the water 35. When the air contacts the water a heavy mist or spray, indicated at 38, is caused to rise from the water so that the dust-laden air comes into intimate contact with the water molecules. This spray tends to wet the remaining dust particles and additional particles become heavy so that they leave the air and fall into the water. Due to the fact that the lower edge of the baffle II terminates at a relatively short distance above the level of the water, the air from which some of the dust has been removed, in the manner described immediately above, is caused to take a transverse direction, as indicated at 39, and then to move upwardl into the space between the bafiies II and I6, as suggested by the arrow 49.

Practically all of the air, in changing its direction from one which is vertically downward (arrow 31) to a direction which is vertically upward (arrow 48), is caused to make an extended movement through the mist or spray present immediately above the surface of the water so that a thorough wetting and removal of the dust particles is assured. Moreover, the lower end of the bafile I6 and its relatively short spacing from the baffle II produce such a sharpness at the loop 3S as to introduce considerable centrifugal effect during the time that the dust particles are being subjected to the water spray, so that practically none of these particles remains in the air which is moving in the vertical direction, as indicated at 40. After passing upwardly between the baffles II and I6, the air which is considerably relieved of the dust is constrained to make an inverse loop in direction, as indicated at M, so that the air is now caused to move vertically downward, as indicated at 42. In following around the loop 4| from the vertically upward to the vertically downward direction, a strong centrifugal force is introduced which causes further separation of the dust particles from the air, and

these particles tend to remain separated from the air and to fall along the surfaces of the bailies I6 and I2 until they finally reach the body of liquid 35.

At the lower end of the baffle I2 the air which has been almost entirely denuded of dust particles is caused to make an inverse loop, indicated at 43, and in doing so passes for a considerable distancethrough the mist or spray which is on top of the liquid 35, which again wets any remaining dust particles and causes them to drop by gravity into the liquid. The completely cleansed air then flows upwardly through the space between the bailie I2 and the'casing I, and out through any of the louver openings formed in the casing. The dust particles which are extracted from the dust-laden air as it makes its many excursions around the lower and upper edges of the bailles II, I6 and I2, and. also in passing a number of times through the mist or spray above the body of liquid, are caused to enter the liquid by gravity, 'and'depending on their in colloidal suspension. When the water has been used so long that considerable sludge has collected therein the water maybe drained at the gate 3| into a bucket and new water added at the pipe 33.

It will be noted that the dust-laden air, as it is forced through the conduit 30, is in the form of a fast-moving,-relatively small column depending on the diameter of the conduit 30, but upon reaching the compartment 44 is permitted to diffuse and therefore to travel at slightly lower velocity as the air passes around the various edges of the baflies. Beginning with the innermost and to the outermost baflie the area through which the air is constrained becomes progressively larger so that the velocity of the air as it begins to flow upwardly around the bend 43 is fairly slow. Consequently, by providing a large number of louvers 2 over the entire peripheral area of the casing I, thus permitting fairly free movement of the air from the interior of the casing to the exterior thereof, the velocity of the air as it leaves the casing may be so low as to be hardly noticeable even by a person standing near the casing. In other words, by causing the dust-laden air to enter the fan in the form of a column of relatively small diameter and permitting this column successivelyto expand in size or increasingly to diffuse in passing around the various baflies and through the water spray, the velocity of the dust-free air as it leaves the louvers is enormously reduced.

It will be noted that the conditioning elements, which include the bafiles l I, I6 and I 2, also the body of water 35, are relatively inexpensive inasmuch as the bailies may be made of sheet metal and when constructed in rectangular form, as

shown in Figure 2, these bafiles are of a self-supporting, rigid type. While I have shOWn and described only three baffles, with two extending downwardly from the cover plate I3 and an intermediate bafile extending upwardly from the bottom plate I5, it will be understood that if desired any number of baffles may be employed, and the greater the number the greater will be the dust-removing effect, but the work required in sending the dust-laden gases through the collector will be correspondingly increased. The water 35, or other liquid, provides its own mist or spray, due to the whipping effect introduced when the downward column of air strikes the surface of the water. Consequently, no additional device is necessary to condition the water body. In case it is desirable to inspect the condition of the bafiies or to make any necessary replacements, or to clean out the bottom of the casing I, the top portion of the casing may be removed at the joint, which would thus leave only one bafile I6 standing upwardly from the casing. The bafiies II and I2 would have been withdrawn when the upper portion of the casing is removed, and can therefore be readily inspected and replaced if necessary. By providing the louvers 2 with an upwardly extending bend, it has been found that the dust-free air will be diffused from the casing I in a substantially horizontal direction, as indicated by the arrows 45', so that the clean air will not be directed toward the floor of the room, where it might pick up more dust. It has been pointed out that the upper portion of the casing is provided with an interior loop I0, while the lower portion of the casing is provided with an inwardly extending bend 8, the arrangement being such that when the upper casing portion is removed from .the lower portion it may be readily :placed in aligned position 'at the joint II.

The modification shown in Figure 4 is somewhat similar in operation to that described in connection with Figures 1 to 3. Instead of providing a casing which is composed of two parts fitted together at the joint I, there is shown in Figure 4 a casing which is integral throughout its entire length, :but is provided at the top with a removable lid or cover. This lid is indicated at 46,. and may be formed of sheet metal from which the bailies :II and I2 are -hung or secured in any suitable and well known manner. These bafiles may have a rectangular shape, as indicated in Figure '2, or if desired may be cylindrical. The lid 46 is provided at its periphery with a" downwardly extending portion or lip 41, this lip being of rectangular shape and arranged concentric with respect to the rectangular casing -I. There may be provided a plurality of loops orbands 48, equi-distantly spaced about the path defined by the lip 4'! and the bafile I2. These bands are secured in any suitable manner to the interior surface of the lip 41 and the exterior surface of the baIiie =I2. The bands serve to support the lid 46 on top of the upper edge of the casing I, and the latter for this purpose may be provided with a hoop 49 about which the material of the casing may be bent, as indicated in the figure. In order to align the lid 46 with respect to the casing I, several downwardly extending strips 50 may be employed, these strips being secured to the bands 48 and having lower tapered edges 5| which contact the interior upper edges of the casing I. Thus as the lid 46 is dropped into position, the tapered edges 5| serve to center or align the lid with respect to the casing so that the bafiies II and I2, carried by the lid, are automatically placed in their proper position with respect to the intermediate bafile I6.

It is apparent that the structure shown in Figure 4 operates in substantially the same manner as was described with respect to Figure 1 in that the incoming dust-laden air is caused to move at a fast rate of speed through the conduit 30 and the direction of the air undergoes abrupt changes about the edges of the various baffles, and at the lower ends of the baffles the air column is caused to move through a heavy mist or spray of water. After the dust has been removed from the dust-laden air during these various excursions around the bafiies, and after the air has passed through the mist or spray formed on top of the liquid, the dust-free air finally passes upwardly between the baflle I2 and the casing I. The dust-free air finally emerges from the dust collector through the space between the baiile I2 and the lip 41, this space being so large that the velocity of the outgoing dust-free air is fairly low. In case it is desired to obtain access to the interior of the collector for inspection, replacement or cleaning purposes, the lid 41 may be lifted upwardly, carrying with it the bafiies II and I2, in the same manner as was described with respect to Figure 1.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have disclosed an improved form of dust collector which can handle considerable quantities of dust-laden air, and even though the velocity of the air entering the collector is great the air from which the dust has been removed leaves the collector in a relatively slow, highly-diffused condition so that little or no draft is set up by the collector. The structure as a. whole is made very compact, and

the tortuosity of the path through which the dust-laden air is constrained to move is so great that practically all of the dust is driven out of the air. The overall dimensions of a typical form of the improved collector are relatively small, as is also th weight, so that the device is extremely mobile and portable. Moreover, by causing the dust-laden air or gasto pass one or more times through a liquid spray or mist, the air is not only cleansed of foreign particles but a certain amount of moisture is combined with the air, which in turn serves to control the humidity of the immediately surrounding atmosphere.

The improved dust collector has been found to operate very efliciently in arresting sparks. -For example, when the collector is connected to an exhaust conduit positioned near a grinding machine and into which incandescent particles of carborundum are received, these particles will not only be collected by the improved machine, in the manner described hereinbefore, but will also be cooled by the action of the liquid 35 and its spray. Thus no spark filter is necessary, but the grinding dust of this character may be received directly by the collector.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claim and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new and'desire' to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In an air conditioning apparatus a unitary casing for the apparatus comprising rectangular bottom, side andtop walls, an air inlet blower and driving motor coupled therewith mounted upon the bottom wall, an air inlet conduit through one side wall directly to the blower, a partition extending transversely across the casing above the blower and forming together with the side walls a reservoir for cleaning liquid, an air discharge pipe extending at an angle from the blower through the partition and reservoir to a region substantially above the reservoir and eccentrically thereof, a quadrangular bafile wall extending upwardly from the partition to a position adjacent the casingtop wall, two coextensive inner and outer quadrangular walls depending from the top wall toward the reservoir and overlapping the upwardly extending wall therebetween, the air discharge pip opening within and at one side of the inner depending wall, louvres in each of the side Walls above the reservoir, the upper wall and a substantial portion of each side wall being removably secured to the outer casing wall, a water inlet at the upper part of the reservoir, and a drain through one of the side walls at the bottom of the reservoir.

OSCAR J. RUPP. 

